Scrooged: Mediator Style
by x0x Maddie x0x
Summary: Mediator version of the popular Christmas movie, A Christmas Carol.Comments appreciated!
1. Chapter 1: Bah Humbug!

**A/N: Merry Christmas, everyone! Just an idea that popped into my head after watching "A Christmas Carol" for the zillionth time. Hope you like it! This chapter is a flashback to 2 yrs ago, Christmas Day, at the Mission's Winter Formal.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Summary: 2 yrs ago, Jesse and Suze broke up, on Christmas day. Now Suze is becoming Scrooge-like. She hates Christmas. When she is visited by the three spirits, will they be able to change her mind before it's too late?**

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**Scrooged: Chapter 1: Bah, Humbug!**

"Suuuuze!" Cee Cee whined. "We've been here for three hours!"

"Here" was the Carmel Mall. Tomorrow night was the Mission's annual Winter Formal, and I had yet to find the Perfect Dress. Jesse was taking me of course, so I _had _to look perfect. Cee Cee had found her dress over two hours ago and was getting a little impatient.

"Cee," I whined back, putting on my irresistible puppy-dog-pout face, the one I knew she would give in to.

And sure enough, Cee Cee gave a loud sigh and said, resignedly, "Fine."

That could buy me about another half an hour.

I know, I know. I shouldn't manipulate my best friend like that. Bad Suze! Hey, I wonder if Jesse would like me in a white dress. It gives off that innocent virgin vibe. Which I am. A virgin I mean. Alive Jesse was just as adamant about that subject as Ghost Jesse was. No sex! It kind of sucked, but I knew he thought it was best for us.

Curiously, I grabbed a kind of sparkly white dress off the rack and headed for the dressing room.

Half an hour later I still had not purchased a dress. White made me look too pale somehow, which was weird because shouldn't you look more tan against a white dress? Whatever, that's the story of my life. Shouldn't I have a tan by now? I mean, it is Carmel. The sun is _always_ shining.

"Suze," Cee Cee said at the half hour mark.

Ha! See, I told you that puppy dog pout would buy me half an hour. Right on the dot.

"Cee Cee…" I started, but trailed off as something caught my eye. That was it. The Perfect Dress.

00 The Next Night 00

"Querida, you look beautiful," Jesse told me.

Hehe. I know. "Thanks, Jesse," I said modestly. "You look like a penguin." Oops, did I just say that aloud? Well, it was true. He really did kind of look like a penguin.

He raised his eyebrow, the one with the scar in it, at this remark, and I quickly added, "A very hot penguin."

Jesse looked like he was trying really hard not to laugh, but he couldn't hold it in. He burst out laughing. Was it something I said? Wait, Suze. Penguins live in cold places, like Antarctica, so being a "very hot penguin" would be a bad thing…

Do other people think this much!?!

"Um, I mean…"

But I was saved from having to finish that sentence when Jesse said, "It's okay, Querida. I know what you meant."

He did? I barely knew what I meant…Wow, he's good. I must be rubbing off on him. A few months ago he wouldn't have understood over half the things I said. See, I tend to babble.

What do you mean u know?

What's _that _supposed to mean?! You wanna take it outside?

Okay, seriously, do most people babble this much in their own heads?

"Susannah," he said, cutting off the rest of my thoughts, thank God. Erm, I mean…Thank Jesse?

I looked up into his dark eyes. He really did look good. But then again, Jesse always looked good. And, God, he was tall. Or maybe I was short? No, I couldn't be! Eek! I'm wearing heels every day from now on. Wait, Suze, you are wearing heels.

"I love you, Querida," he whispered.

"Love you, too, Cadaver Breath."

He smiled as he bent down to close the distance between us, which, considering my shortness, was quite a lot, and kissed me.

When he pulled back up a minute or two later, he laced his fingers with mine and led me to his car. Then, being the gentleman he is, he went around and opened my door for me. And, being the gentlewoman (if that's a word) that I am, I let him.

Then Jesse got in on the driver's side and we were off.

It was a quiet car ride. But it wasn't an awkward silence. It was comfortable, familiar. I liked just being there with him.

Finally, we got to the Mission. Jesse got out while I stayed put so he could open the door for me. He smiled as he took my hand to help me out, silently conveying his appreciation. Usually, I just jumped out myself and got a disapproving look. This was so much better.

The room the dance was held in was crowded. I needed to meet Cee Cee and Jesse wanted to talk to father Dominic about something. "I'll meet you under the mistletoe," I told him, a smile playing on my lips.

"Alright, Querida. I'll meet you there in fifteen minutes?"

"Sure." He leaned down and kissed me lightly. I saw Kelly and a few of her friends eyeing me evilly. They were just jealous because the hot guy likes me better. I felt like sticking my tongue out at them, but thought better of it. So instead I just went to find Cee Cee.

"Suze!" Cee Cee screamed when she saw me. "You look great!"

I know. "Thanks, Cee. You look great, too."

"Guess those three and a half hours at the mall paid off," she said, a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

"I guess they did."

We went into the bathroom to "freshen up." I looked in the mirror. My reflection stared back at me as I straightened my dress-it's amazing how wrinkly it had already gotten from sitting in the car-and reapplied mascara.

The dress I had decided on was green, to bring out my eyes. It was full-length and strapless, with tiny sequins along the neck line.

I leaned in closer to the mirror. "Cee," I said.

"Yeah?"

"Is my nose shiny?"

She just looked at me. I flared my nostrils and she sighed. "Suze, calm down. Your nose looks fine," she muttered.

Not reassured, I pulled powder out of my purse. I opened it and dabbed a little on my nose. Looking back in the mirror, I started singing, under my breath so Cee couldn't hear,

"Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer had a very shiny nose. But he's got nothin' on Susannah, whose nose shines brighter than a flashlight."

Ha! I'll bet that'll make top ten in a few years. Maybe if I work on it, I can have it done by next Christmas…

Okay, back to my nose. It was seriously shiny. So shiny it was practically glowing. So I did the logical thing. I used the rest of the powder.

This created a huge white cloud around me from all the excess powder. As soon as it cleared, I leaned in to the mirror and stared in horror at my nose.

Oops.

Well, at least I don't look like Rudolph any more. Nope, my nose was white as snow. So I looked more like Frosty the Snowman. Wait, wasn't his nose a carrot or something? Okay, Suze, lets not go there.

I glanced over at Cee Cee, who'd been quiet for a long time. She was struggling not to laugh. I narrowed my eyes and glared at her, which only seemed to make it worse, if her bursting out laughing was any indication.

"Cee."

"Su-" she began, only to be cut off by her own hysterical laughter. "I'm-I'm-hahaha-sor-hahaha…"

Oh well. It could be worse. I mean, at least no one else could see me like this.

As if on cue, Kelly Prescott walked in. Cee Cee's laughter abruptly stopped as I stared in horror at Kelly.

She stared back, open-mouthed.

For a while, no one said anything.

But then the silence was broken by Kelly. "Suze?"

"Hm?"

"Um, you have a little something on your nose."

Silence.

"Gee, Kell, thanks," I said.

"No problem," she replied, missing the sarcasm in my tone.

It was nearly fifteen minutes later when I finally got all the powder off my nose, which, miraculously, was _not_ that shiny. It was way past time to go meet Jesse. He'd probably thought I'd forgotten about him.

The mistletoe was hanging near the punch bowl. I was surprised mistletoe was allowed. Father Dom and Sister Ernestine were always busting people for PDAs. This was kind of asking for it.

As I pushed my way through the crowd, getting closer to the mistletoe, I saw a couple under it. It was Kelly and some guy who I couldn't see due to Kelly's face being plastered to his.

I roled my eyes. Now where is Jesse?

Just as this thought crossed my mind, the guy Kelly was making out with raised his head up.

He had dark hair and a scar through one eyebrow. As soon our eyes met, mine filled with tears and I turned and ran through the crowd.

"Susannah!" I heard him yell out behind me. "Querida, wait! I can explain."

I didn't stop, just ran faster.

I had barely made it out the door when I felt two strong arms go around me. Stupid heels. I could have gotten away if I'd just worn sensible shoes. So what if I was short?

"Querida," he said softly.

I didn't turn around, couldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing me cry.

"Susannah, I didn't," he stammered. "_She_ kissed _me_!"

That made me turn around. I put my face close to his and he leaned in to kiss me. But instead I started yelling. "Sure she did, Jesse. _You_ weren't sucking face with Kelly Prescott and _I'm_ the toothfairy!"

Not the best comeback, I know, but it was the best I could come up with at the time.

This time when I ran away, he didn't come after me.

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**A/N: plz don't hate me!! I'll fix it!**

**So did you like it? I need to know if I should continue it. If I get at least 3 reviews telling me to continue, I can probably have the next chapter up sometime tomorrow. But only if 3 reviewers tell me to continue!**


	2. Chapter 2: A Break?

**A/N: Yay, I got a whole 4 reviews on my last chapter! Not too bad for one night. Thanks to all that reviewed. I tried to reply personally to everyone's comment. Here's the next chapter as promised. The first chapter was a flashback, this chapter takes place two years after that day. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing****

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Scrooged: Chapter 2: A Break?**

I used to love Christmas. As a kid in New York, I'd make snowmen to portray kids at school I didn't like and I'd pelt them with snowballs and watch as they melted in the sun come Spring. In Carmel, Christmas meant going to the Mission's annual Winter Formal, which meant Jesse.

Now I found myself dreading the approach of the twenty-fifth of December. To me, Christmas now means old memories and broken hearts.

Perhaps that's why I'm always moody this time of the year. Yeah, it's all his fault. All Jesse's fault.

"Merry Christmas, Suze!" Cee Cee had shouted through the phone at me this morning. I almost felt like screaming "Bah, Humbug!" but thought it was a little too cliché.

"Miss Simon," yelled a large man in a very tight suit. He had a graying bushy mustache and a balding head. He kind of reminded me of Uncle Vernon from _Harry Potter_. He even had a son that looked like Dudley. I'd hardly ever seen his wife, but she seemed scrawny and small next to this big man. Harry's aunt never seemed so insignificant. I guess the similarity only went so far as father and son. Hopefully they didn't have an orphaned teenage wizard hidden in their linen closet…

"Yes, Mr. Crosby?" I said sweetly. Okay, so I was a suckup. So what? He had sounded kind of angry when he'd called my name.

"Sit down," he said, motioning to an empty chair across from him at his desk.

I sat, folded my hands in my lap, and prepared myself for whatever he would say.

Mr. Crosby, my boss, shuffled through a stack of official-looking documents. "Miss Simon," he started.

Oh no, this was going to be bad. He was using his I'm-the-boss-everything-I-say-goes-and-don't-you-forget-it-ever voice. I crossed my fingers under the desk.

"It seems," he continued, "that you have been working many long hours lately." I nodded and he continued. "Tomorrow," he announced, "is Christmas."

Well, duh!

"I want for you to take tomorrow off. You are not to come within one hundred feet of this building."

Wait, what?

"You, Miss Simon, have been working yourself too hard. You need a break."

"A break," I repeated slowly, making sure I'd heard him correctly.

"Ah, so you've heard of them," he teased.

It was true. I'd been working long nights lately. I was always the first one here in the morning and the last one to leave at night.

You may be wondering where "here" is. I work at a psychologist's office as the personal secretary to Dr. Crosby himself.

Yet, for some reason, he insists that he be called Mr. Crosby, not Dr. Crosby, by his coworkers. He believes that just because he went to school for a few extra years does not make him better than us.

So yeah, I'm a secretary. Bet you never would have guessed. Suze Simon taking orders from someone other than herself.

This is what my life has come to in the past couple of years. I dropped out after only a semester at No Cal, got a job taking orders from a superior, who wants me to believe that he is not superior, except when it benefits him most, and lost the love of my life.

"Mr. Crosby, sir," I said as politely as possible. "Working tomorrow is no problem. In fact, I have to catch up on some paperwork."

"Paperwork," he repeated.

"Ah, so you've heard of it." He laughed.

"Miss Simon, you are _not_ working tomorrow and that is final, you hear?" His voice was stern. His mind was made up.

"Yes, Sir."

I got up and left, making sure to show my unhappiness by closing his door hard. Not slamming it exactly, not hard enough to get me into trouble, just enough to let him know that I was _not happy_.

What was I going to do? I had a whole day off tomorrow. Christmas Day, in fact. Cee Cee had invited me to Christmas dinner at her and Adam's apartment, but I had refused. I was happy for Cee Cee, but she and Adam were too much for me to handle. I couldn't stand seeing them happy and in love while I was miserable, lonely, and foul-tempered.

I'd lost the Suze I once knew. And I didn't even care.

**00 Later 00**

"No, Mom, I'm sorry. I have to work tomorrow…Well, tell Andy that I'm sorry but I can't make it to dinner tomorrow…I know it's Christmas…Yes, Mom, I know how Andy gets when I miss dinner…No, Mom, I'll be fine…promise…Love you too…Bye."

Okay, so I lied. So what? It was my universal excuse: I have to work. It worked every time.

I collapsed onto the couch and flipped on the TV. "Tonight, you will be visited by three spirits…"

_A Christmas Carol_. Great. I flipped the channel. "Scrooge," said a ghostly voice. Huh? I flipped it again, but no matter how many times I changed the channel, the movie never changed. How could every channel be showing the same movie at the same time?

I stared at the screen, dumbfounded. Then Bob Marley's ghost filled the screen. "Susannah Simon," it said. "Tonight, you will be visited by three spirits."

Huh? Did he just say- No, It couldn't be. Maybe I went a little overboard on the coffee earlier.

"You're the product of an undercooked potatoe, a bad piece of meat, or perhaps some cheese," the Scrooge on screen announced to Bob's ghost.

Wait, isn't that what I just said, basically?

"Suuze," Bob said, his ghostly voice filling the small apartment. "Expect the first when the clock strikes one."

"The first spirit?" I asked it, not that I expected him to reply. He was, after all, just the product of a highly paid actor, cheesy special effects, and the loads of caffeine that I'd just ingested.

He nodded. "Yes, Suze. Expect the first spirit at one." And then the TV went black. I screamed and ran.

I ran out the door, down the hall, and, after realizing I had nowhere to go, back into my apartment and into my bed, pulling the covers safely over my head. As if that would help.

There was a knock at the door. I looked at my watch. Only 11:30. Couldn't be the spirit yet.

"Miss Simon?" a voice called out from the other side of my closed door. "It's Mrs. Marber. From 12B?" When there was no response from me, she continued. "I thought I heard you scream. Miss Simon, are you alright?"

I slowly got out of bed and opened the door. "I'm fine, Mrs. Marber. Thank you."

"Oh, it's no problem, Dear. We apartment mates gotta stick together, watch out for one another. You know, this reminds me of a time back when I was about your age. I-"

But the rest was cut off as I closed the door in her face. I know, I'm a terrible person and I'm going to Hell. At least then I'll finally know what happens to ghosts after I mediate them. Or exorcise them.

I went back to bed, hoping that I'd wake up the next morning to find it all a dream.

But I couldn't sleep. I really had consumed a lot of coffee.

So, I grabbed a book, turned up the heater, and sat down to read.

**00 Later 00**

I must have finally dozed off. The next thing I knew, I was awakened by the tolling of a bell.

Hm, that was strange. I didn't even have a clock that chimed out the hour. The closest thing I had was a watch I'd gotten from Burger King that told corny jokes when you pressed a button.

So what was with the chiming?

"Suze," said a ghostly voice from behind me. And really, what was with the ghostly voice? Ghosts sounded just like everyone else. So what was this ghost's problem? Then I remembered.

Calm down, Suze. It's just a ghost. You've delt with loads of ghosts in the past. I turned around slowly and was surprised at what I saw.

If I didn't know any better, I'd say she was…

"Hello, Suze, I'm the Tooth Fairy."

Tooth Fairy?

"_Sure she did, Jesse! She kissed you and I'm the Tooth Fairy!"

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**R&R. The next chapter might take a little while to get up mostly b/c I don't own the Mediator books. Unfortunately. If I had the last chapter of Twilight, I could update sometime today, but since I have to remember and make some of it up, it may take me a little while. If any of you really want an update, if you have Twilight, would you plz copy the last chapter and send it to bluEyedgrrl gmail. com? I will update today and dedicate the chapter to you!**_

**Love,**

**Tennisgurl**


	3. Chapter 3: The Tooth Fairy

**A/N: I've had this chapter ready since last night, but my internet connection is finicky and I haven't been able to post it. Actually, I planned to update twice today. The next chapter is almost done, but I won't post it till I get at least three reviews. Oh, and I ended up not even needing the book for this chapter!! **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

**Mentions: I replied personally to everyone who signed in. **

**Querida101: I'm glad you liked it. Thanks so much for the review. And happy holidays to you too!

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Scrooged: Chapter 3: The Tooth Fairy**

"Um…I think you've got the wrong girl," I stuttered. I mean, come on, the Tooth Fairy? What kind of spirit is _that_?

She blinked, then pulled out a small, ripped piece of paper. She studied it for a second before saying, "Susannah Simon?"

"Erm…yes."

"Then I'm in the right place."

The "spirit" standing in front of me was wearing a long pink dress. She looked a little like a princess except that the tiara on her curly brown locks was made of what appeared to be teeth-gross!- and a necklace that most definitely had a tooth hanging on it.

She looked very young, much younger than I would have expected. She must have been eight years old.

"Can I help you?" I asked. When she was silent, I decided perhaps she was just another ghost in need of mediating. "Do we have to do this now?" I'm not exactly in the mood." She nodded. I sighed. Normally I would kick her ghostly butt, but I was still a little startled, unsure if there was a spirit near by, waiting to see what I would do. Maybe it was a test and if I passed, he'd leave me alone.

"Okay," I began. "How did you die?"

"I'm not dead, Suze."

"Yes. Yes, you are. What's your name?"

"I'm the Tooth Fairy," she replied with certainty.

I sighed. I couldn't deal with this right now. Or ever really. I looked again at the "Tooth Fairy."

"What's the last thing you remember?"

"The last thing I remember before what? I'm _not_ dead!"

"Fine. You're not dead." I could tell by the look on her face that she knew I didn't believe her. "So what are you doing here, in my bedroom?"

"I," she announced proudly, "am the Ghost of Christmas Past."

I stared at her in horror. "No you're not."

"Yes, I am!"

"No."

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

"NOO!! I mean yes!"

"Ha! I got you!"

She pouted. "But I _am_ the Ghost of Christmas Past!"

"Okay," I reasoned. "If you're the Ghost of Christmas Past, why are you dressed as a Tooth Fairy?"

She sighed, like the answer to this question was so obvious. "I'm both."

_Sure you are. And I'm Santa Clause._

She stared at me.

"No, you're not. You're Suze."

_Did I say that aloud?_

"No."

_Wait, she's reading my mind? Yeah, right._ I thought really hard of a banana peel. "What am I thinking now?"

"Banana peel," she said with ease.

"Ahh!!" I screamed aloud.

"Suze-"

"Ahh!! Get out of my head!" Too illustrate this, I started hitting the side of my head, trying to get her out. "Ahh!"

"Suze," she said. "I'm not _in_ your head."

I was now running around in circles, still patting one side of my head with the other tilted towards the ground, as if trying to get water out of my ears. Only this time it was a ghost.

"Ahhh-" She grabbed my shoulders, effectively stopping me in my tracks. "Let go!" I yelled childishly, trying to pry her hands off.

But it was no use. Ghosts were strong. Even eight-year-old-Tooth-Fairy ghosts.

I closed my eyes in frustration and too two deep, calming breaths. I opened my eyes and gasped.

I was no longer in my bedroom. No, I was standing in the mission's large Ball Room.

I gasped. It was the Winter Formal, the year I had brought Jesse forward in time by accident. He was alive and I suddenly remembered how good it felt to lean against his strong chest and listen to his heart beat.

The "Tooth Fairy" pointed to a couple sitting on a bench in the corner of the room. As I moved closer, I could see Jesse sitting net to me, Past me.

"I love you, Querida," I saw him whisper against my ear.

Past Me turned slowly and kissed him. "I love you, too, Cadaver Breath."

Jesse laughed. I missed the sound of his laughter.

I looked up to see Kelly Prescott glaring at Past Me and Jesse. Jealous much, Kelly?

I shook my head and looked back to Past Me and Jesse. We looked so happy and in love.

"I'm glad you came back to me," Past Me said to Jesse.

He smiled. "Me too. And now that I have you, I will never let you go."

A tear came to my eye and I quickly brushed it away, not that anyone could see me anyway.

"I love you, Jesse, more than anything in the world and I will never leave you," Past Me whispered back.

"We were young," I explained to the spirit. "It meant nothing." I didn't believe the words coming out of my mouth, but they were out before I could stop them and I couldn't take them back.

"Sure, Suze," she replied, but I could tell she didn't believe me either.

"Please, Spirit," I begged. "I've had enough. Take me away."

She offered me her hand and I took it. I closed my eyes and when I opened them again, I saw a familiar scene. We were still at the Mission, only a year later. This was the year Jesse and I had broken up. I didn't want to see it, but it appeared I had no choice in the matter.

There I was, coming out of the bathroom with Cee Cee. We were giggling hysterically.

But it was not to this scene that the spirit pointed. She pointed instead to the mistletoe, under which a very hot penguin-I mean Jesse-was waiting.

He looked nervously at his watch, waiting for something.

Or rather, someone.

Me.

Or Kelly?

Past Suze and Cee Cee were working their way through the crowd toward Jesse when Kelly appeared.

She took one look at Jesse, alone under the mistletoe, and made her move.

"Hi, Jesse," she said seductively.

"Oh, hi, Kelly," Jesse replied politely, not interested.

As Kelly scooted closer to Jesse, I felt a seething rage filling me. And, worse, jealousy.

I was jealous of Kelly Prescott. This was worse than being a secretary.

Way worse.

Jesse, to his credit, seemed uncomfortable with Kelly's proximity and tried to casually back away from her, but he wasn't quick enough to escape Kelly. She leaned in closer, closing the distance between them. She kissed him.

That's when Past Suze walked up, having said her goodbyes to Cee Cee. She took one look at them, Jesse and Kelly, and ran. Jesse pushed Kelly away gently but quickly and yelled after me. When I didn't turn around, he ran after me.

I didn't need to see the rest. I knew what happened after that. The scene had replayed itself in my dreams nearly every night for two years.

I looked back at the "Tooth Fairy" and she grabbed my hand.

We shifted, and this time when I opened my eyes, we were back in my bedroom, at my apartment.

"He didn't kiss her," I said, stunned, to no one in particular. I couldn't believe it.

"No," she agreed. "He didn't."

"I should have listened to him." She nodded. "Who are you?" I asked.

"I've already told you."

"You're not the Tooth Fairy."

She shrugged. "Whatever you say, Simon." With that, she shimmered and disappeared, leaving me alone with my regret.

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**R&R! I need feedback or I won't know how to improve the story. Remember, just three reviews and you get an update!**


	4. Chapter 4: Discoveries

**A/N: Wow. That was fast. I got my three reviews way more quickly than I'd expected. Thanks so much, guys! Well, here's another update for you. I've been writing all day and I've finally finished. It's kind of short, only six chapters, but i never meant for it to be too long anyway.**

**Disclaimer: Not mine.**

**Mentions: Again, I sent a personal reply to your review if you signed in, which mcobsessed has informed me she has not yet gotten b/c alerts are down. Hopefully you'll get it soon though.**

**Querida101: Thanks so much for reviewing again! And of course Jesse is innocent! lol. He's too much of a gentleman to do anythign like that. Thanks again for your comment!**

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**Scrooged: Chapter 4: Discoveries**

It was a quarter to two. I had fifteen minutes before Spirit Number Two was due to arrive.

I got on the computer.

After only ten minutes of research, I found what I was looking for.

"Lily Stewart. Died 31 October 2005 at the age of eight while trick-or-treating, dressed as the Tooth Fairy. Cause of death is unknown at this time."

Halloween. She'd died on Halloween Day. Of course she had. Why else would she have been dressed as the Tooth Fairy? It all made sense. But if she'd been hanging around for a few years, then why didn't she know yet that she was dead?

Somewhere nearby, a clock tolled two.

I held my breath, listening. For a minute, I sat there.

Nothing happened.

There was no spirit. How could I have been so-

"Sorry I'm late, Susie Q."

"Paul?" I asked, turning to face him.

Sure enough, it was Paul. But he was glowing. "Paul, are you-are you dead?"

He laughed. I failed to see the hilarity in the situation. He saw me glaring at him and added, "No, Suze. I'm just a figment of your imagination brought on by a caffeine rush." He burst out laughing again.

Huh?

"Suze. I'm not dead. I was volunteered to be a spirit."

"You were _chosen_ to be a spirit?"

"Lets not get into details here, Suze. Now, I was sent here to show you what is happening on Christmas Day, today."

"Paul, I've seen _A Christmas Carol_. I know the drill."

He smiled. "Then take my hand and we will go."

I did as he said and we were transported to an apartment I didn't recognize.

"Where are we?"

"Shh," Paul silenced me.

Fine then. Don't tell me.

I looked around the apartment. In the far corner was a mountain of empty pizza boxes. In another was a shelf full of big, heavy-looking books.

Who lives here? I wondered.

I walked into the nearest room. It was a bedroom. There was a bed against the far wall, the covers thrown unceremoniously in a heap on top. Another full bookshelf lined the wall opposite. Near the bed was a nightstand, which held an alarm clock and a picture frame.

Curious, I picked up the frame.

Oh. My. God.

It was a picture of me.

Was the guy who lived here some kind of stalker? Oh my God, has he been watching me?

That's it. I'm going home and I'm changing the locks. Some curtains might not be a bad idea either. And if I just-

"Suze."

"What, Paul?" I asked, irritated at being interrupted, even if it was just in my thoughts.

"He's not a stalker."

Oh yeah. The mind reading thing. Gosh, that was getting really annoying.

Wait, if he's not a stalker, then why does he keep my picture next to his bed?

Paul sighed. "Because, Suze- You know what, why don't I just show you?"

He walked out of the bedroom, motioning for me to follow. We were back in the main room. I read the titles of some of the books. Most of them were books on mythology or science. There was not a single book I would ever consider reading.

Paul walked into what appeared to be the kitchen. The room contained a microwave, a sink piled with dirty dishes, a refrigerator, and a small table at which a man was sitting alone, eating Christmas dinner.

I looked at Paul, who nodded, encouraging me.

As I moved closer to the man, I saw curly dark hair and deep brown eyes.

Jesse.

A wave of sorrow washed over me as I looked longingly into his dark eyes.f

"I'm so sorry, Jesse," I told him.

"Suze, he can't hear you."

I looked at Paul. "Why did you bring me here?"

"You know why I brought you here, Susie Q."

And I did. Know I mean.

I touched his cheek; Jesse's, not Paul's; but my hand went right through. He didn't even feel it, just continued to push his food around the plate. He took a deep breath. I'd never seen Jesse look so sad. Had I done that?

"Yes, Suze. This is how it's been for Jesse lately. He always gets this way around Christmastime. You should hear the way he talks about you."

"Wait, are you _spying_ on him or something?"

"No. You don't think I have better things to do with my time than stalk Rico here?"

"Then how do you know what he says about me?"

"Suze, I know it's hard to believe, but de Silva and I have gotten pretty close over the past couple of years without you around to distract us."

Wow. Paul and Jesse friends. I couldn't even imagine.

And Jesse still talked about me? I would have thought he'd never want to see me again.

Paul shook his head, as if he pitied me and my ignorance.

Jesse got up, leaving his plate of food on the table and walked out of the kitchen. I followed him, my heart thumping madly in my chest to the bedroom. He picked up a phone I hadn't noticed hanging on the wall.

After hesitating for a moment, he punched in seven digits.

"Three, two," Paul counted down. "One."

Jesse hung up the phone, slamming it down onto the receiver hard. He stared at it, as if it would come alive and strangle him with its cord at any second. I briefly wondered who he had almost called. I got my answer, though, when he sat down on the bed and grabbed the picture frame off the nightstand.

"Susannah," he whispered.

Tears welled up in my eyes at the mention of my name. I hated myself for doing this to him. He didn't deserve it. I was just jealous and I assumed that he-but he didn't. He would never do anything to hurt me. But I had hurt him. And I hated myself for that.

"Come on," Paul said, holding his hand out to me.

I took it and we shifted.

We ended up in a small house. It was warm, a fire burning merrily in the hearth. Christmas music blasted from a radio. The atmosphere was warm and inviting.

At a table in the kitchen nearby, I could see Cee Cee and Adam and their family and friends sitting down for Christmas dinner. There were a lot of people around the table. All were smiling.

One chair, however, was empty. I felt a pang of guilt as I realized who the empty chair belonged to.

Me.

Cee Cee gave a toast. "To family and friends gathered at the table, to love," she smiled at Adam, who had proposed to her only a few months earlier, "and to those who couldn't be here with us today." At this last statement, she turned to the empty chair I should have been occupying.

"She seems happy," I noted.

Paul looked at me. "She is. But something is missing. Or should I say someone?" He looked at me expectantly.

"I'm sorry, Cee Cee," I whispered, though I knew she couldn't hear me. "I'm so sorry I let you down. I'll change." I said this last part quietly, barely audible, then added, in a stronger, louder voice, "I'll change. I promise."

Paul took me back to my apartment, where he smiled; said, "I know you'll do the right thing, Suze;" and disappeared.

Then, a clock tolled three.

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R&R plz!**


	5. Chapter 5: Tears and Tombstones

**A/N: Another update! Sorry it's so short, but I'll make it up to you in the next chapter.**

**Disclaimer: All characters you recognize property of my idol, Meg Cabot. I also borrowed the nickname Rico Suave from SASTMJ. I didn't even realize it until someone pointed it out. Sorry 'bout that!**

**Scrooged: Chapter 5: Tears and Tombstones **

I was not one to be scared, but I feared the ghost of Christmas Future more than any ghost I'd ever met before. And I had met a lot of ghosts in my life time.

This spirit was covered from head to toe in a black cloak, the hood pulled low to shadow its face. The wardrobe of this spirit was almost identical to that of the one in _A Christmas Carol_.

Wordlessly, the Spirit offered me its hand. "Are you to show me what has not yet occurred but what shall be if I don't change?"

The spirit nodded. I found its silence to be the most frightening thing I'd ever encountered. With a shaking hand, I grabbed the hand offered to me, closed my eyes, and hoped. I hoped that my fate would not resemble that of Ebenezer in the movies.

I hoped that what I would see would be less fearsome than this spirit whose hand was clutched tightly in mine. Most of all, I hoped that the future would see me together again with the man I loved.

When I opened my eyes, I was standing in front of a rusting, iron fence. Beyond it were hundreds of headstones.

The cemetery.

The Spirit led me wordlessly through the gate and to the graves beyond.

"Wh-Why have you taken me h-here?" I asked, though I thought I knew the answer already.

We stopped before a small tombstone overgrown with weeds. I looked to the Spirit for direction and it was to this small grave that the Spirit raised one slightly shaking finger.

Dreading every step, I moved closer to the tomb. I forced my eyes shut and prepared myself for the worst.

After a few deep breaths, each held for a count of ten, just like my anger-management counselor had instructed, I opened my eyes.

_Hector "Jesse" de Silva_, the headstone in front of me read.

I gasped. This was not what I'd expected.

The words inscribed into the stone blurred as tears filled my eyes, threatening to overflow. For once, I let them come. I welcomed the tears, for they clouded my vision, protecting me from the terrible truth of the words in front of me.

"He was fine," she Spirit said sadly and I was startled by the sound. Up till now, the Spirit had said not a word. I found I no longer feared her. After seeing what I had seen, nothing seemed to matter anymore anyway.

The Spirit, to my surprise, was definitely a woman. She sounded older than me, but not much.

"Up until the day he died, he was fit as a fiddle. One day, he just stopped being okay. The doctors did every test imaginable, but they could find nothing wrong with him." The Spirit paused, took a deep breath, and said, "They say he lost the will to live."

Those words cut like a knife through the heart. I could feel all the color drain from my face. My fingernails dug painfully into the palms of my hands as an involuntary shudder ripped through me. I fell to my knees at the grave and sobbed.

It couldn't be.

"Suze," the Spirit said, her voice sounding strange, as if she herself was struggling not to cry. "I'm sorry."

"I know," was all I could manage between gasping sobs.

The Spirit patted me softly on the back, something my mother used to do when I was young to calm me. It worked even now.

She offered me her hand and we shifted back.

For a moment, there was only silence. It was not awkward nor frightening as it had been before. It became a welcome sound, broken only by my occasional sobs.

Then, the Spirit spoke up.

"Follow your heart," she instructed. "It will serve you well."

I nodded sadly, the image of Jesse's grave still fresh in my mind. I couldn't let this happen.

I knew what I had to do, but itt wasn't going to be easy.

"I think I know you," I whispered suddenly and as I said the words, I knew they were true. Perhaps for the first time that night.

Though her face was covered in shadow, I could almost feel her smile. It was not a joyful smile. It was full of sadness and remorse. I knew this smile well.

"I think you do," she replied as she lifted back her hood.

**R&R. The next chapter will be dedicated to whoever can guess correctly who the Spirit is. I've given plenty of clues as to her identity throughout this chapter. The next chapter will be posted just as soon as I either recieve three reviews or someone guesses who the Spirit is!**


	6. Chapter 6: Redemption

**A/N: I know**** I said that this would be the last chapter, but my original plans have changed. A lot. So it's not the last chapter. I've got a at least a few more after this one. Wasn't going to post this quite yet, but hope u like it!**

**Disclaimer: NOT MINEEEEE!!**

**Dedications: Wow. A LOT of people guessed correctly the identity of the Spirit in the last chapter. You guys are good. Or was it just too easy? Anyway, the reviewers who guessed correctly include: Sweet-and-Sexy-That's-MY-Jesse, Querida101, MarcyPlayground, book pirate, Crujido de Coco, biddy-grub, and acavoo in that order. This chapter is dedicated to all of you!!

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Scrooged: Chapter 6: Redemption**

"_I think I know you," I whispered._

_Her face was covered in shadow, but I could almost feel her smile. "I think you do," she replied as she lifted back the hood._

As the Spirit lifted back her hood, curly chestnut locks cascaded down her shoulders. I looked into her eyes, which I was not surprised to find were emerald in color. She looked sad. If I had looked in a mirror, I'm sure I would have found our expressions to be exact replicas.

The Suze standing in front of me looked a few years older, perhaps in her early twenties. These extra couple of years showed more than they should have. Worry was etched across her features, forming slight wrinkles in her forehead.

She smiled, but it was a fake smile, empty of all emotion. It looked odd, out of place on her otherwise weary features.

"Jesse?" I breathed. That was all I could get out before nearly bursting into tears again.

She got my meaning though. Spirit Suze sighed. "He's…He's not so good."

I sniffled and then, involuntarily, I could feel tears welling again in my eyes. I couldn't help but think that I'd cried more in the past ten minutes than I had in most of my nineteen years. What was wrong with me?

"Suze-" the Spirit Me began in an attempt to comfort me.

I interrupted her. She was trying to make me feel better, but I didn't _deserve_ to feel better. Never again. Not until I fixed this mess I had created. "I know what I have to do," I said sadly, unable to look her-um, me-in the eyes. I stared at my feet. This wasn't going to be easy.

As I looked back into Spirit Suze's piercing green eyes, I saw her nod. Then, without another word, she shimmered and disappeared.

A lone tear escaped my defenses and fell freely down my cheek, leaving a wet, glistening trail.

00 Morning 00

I awoke in heap of blankets on my bed. Stretching and yawning, I sat up. Then I remembered. The lessons of each of the Spirits were clear in my mind.

Little Tooth-Fairy-Ghost-Girl was the first. Lily. She had died on Halloween a couple years back. I felt I owed it to her to help her figure out what was holding her back. She had after all helped me to realize what a disaster my life had become by showing me what it used to be.

I called to her, but no one answered. _LILY!!! _I called again, louder this time. Still, there was no response. I called once more, but it was no use. Lily was no longer on this earth. She had accomplished whatever was holding her back and she'd moved on. I smiled happily.

Next was Paul. The same Paul who'd always been scheming, trying to break Jesse and me up. Though in the end, it seemed I had done that myself. It was this same Paul who just hours earlier had encouraged me to change, to make up with Jesse. It appeared I wasn't the only one who'd changed.

Then came the third and final Spirit, who at first had been terrifying and silent but who had eventually spoken and given me that last push that I needed. I had to change, I realized. For myself…but mostly for Jesse.

I remembered the events so clearly and yet I found myself unsure as to whether they had happened at all. Was it all just a dream?

A voice in the back of my head, a voice that had remained silent for two whole years now spoke up to answer me. I think they call it a conscience.

_Does it really matter? _it asked.

I smiled. There was just something about today.

I ran to my bedroom window and threw it open. I breathed in the pure Carmel air.

"You there," I called out to a boy passing on the street. He looked up at me. "What day is it today?"

"Why it's Christmas Day, of course!" he answered.

It was still Christmas. I hadn't missed it. I wasn't too late to change that horrible scene, the letters engraved into that gray tombstone overgrown with weeds.

It was time to get up. There was much work to be done.

00 About an Hour Later 00

The doorbell made a soft, musical noise as I raised a shaking finger to it, pressing it down slowly.

Part of me, a scared part, wanted to run and hide in the bushes. But a larger part knew that I had to do this. I had to change what I had seen.

I stood there for a moment, waiting.

Inside, I heard heavy footsteps coming closer. It was him.

With every new step, the part of me that wanted to hide grew larger and larger. I couldn't do this. It wasn't too late to hide. I could still make a run for it.

But just as I turned around, ready to dash into the nearest bushes, the door opened and I was face-to-face with Jesse once again.

To say he looked surprised to see me would be a huge understatement. He stared at me in astonishment, unable to say a word.

"Jesse," I whispered to break the silence. He still didn't move or speak.

I didn't know what to say. I had rehearsed what I would say to him when I saw him again so many times over the past two years, but all the lines had suddenly floated right out of my head. Was it a mistake to come here? He probably didn't even want to see me.

What he did next made me realize that though this man was older and probably no longer in love with me, he was the same Jesse I remembered. He remembered his manners before he remembered how to form words and stepped aside from the doorway. "Would you like to come in?" he finally asked.

I nodded and walked over the threshold, my heart pounding.

"Susannah-" he started, but I cut him off.

"Oh, Jesse!" I said. "I'm so so so so so so so so-" He looked at me, slightly impatient. "-so so so so sorry!" I finished.

He didn't say anything. Didn't even react. He just stood there.

It was a mistake to come."

I turned to walk out the door, but he put his hand on my shoulder, stopping me.

Slowly, I turned to face him.

A tear had slipped again through my barriers, unnoticed.

"Susannah-" he said.

I couldn't take it. I couldn't do this.

I ran.

And this time, he didn't run after me.

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**R&R**


	7. Pumpkin Pies Galore!

**A/N: Wow, it's been a long time. I figured since it's no longer even close to Christmas, I'd better come back and finish my Xmas fic. I hope I still have _some_ readers left...**

**Well, here's the final chapter. I really hope you like it. **

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Scrooged: Mediator Style

_Chapter 7: Pumpkin Pies Galore!_

My finger pressed tentatively on the doorbell, and it rang, singing out a low note. Inside, I could hear people talking, laughing. I wasn't sure I really felt like laughing yet, but I knew I had to come.

I shifted the pie in my hands uncomfortably as I waited for the door to open.

Finally, someone appeared at the door. "Suze," she said in disbelief as she let me in. "I didn't think you were coming." She sounded glad that I had though.

I handed her the pumpkin pie I'd spent all afternoon making, which she thanked me for and set on an already full table, and hugged her. "Hi, Cee," I said happily. And I wasn't faking it either. I really did feel happy. "I've missed you."

She laughed. "Suze, it's only been a day since I saw you," she pointed out.

Had it really only been a day? I couldn't remember. Yesterday seemed like years ago.

I laughed too, and it sounded so right. It didn't sound fake and out of place as it had last year at this time. Or even just yesterday. I really had come a long way in the past 24 hours, I realized, thinking of the three Spirits.

Cee Cee led me into the house and introduced me to her family and friends, whose names I quickly forgot—there were so many of them.

Halfway through the introductions, Adam came and gave me a hug. "Suze!" he said. "I knew you'd come!" I smiled and hugged him back.

"Merry Christmas," I told him.

"And a Merry Christmas to you, too, Suze."

I looked around the room at all the people who were here. There were still a lot of people to meet, and I wasn't sure I could handle meeting all of them. "Do you need any help in the kitchen?" I asked, hoping to skip the rest of the introductions.

"Well, sure," he said. "If you're offering. I'm not a great cook, and the bird is giving me some trouble. It's like it's mocking me or something. I put it in the oven for a whole hour and it was still frozen."

I smiled happily. Same old Adam. "Did you remember to turn the oven on?" I teased.

"Of course I—" He paused. "Let me check." He walked into the kitchen, and I followed him, laughing. I was surprised how much I'd laughed in the past few minutes since I'd walked in the door. This is how Christmas was supposed to be, I remembered.

We walked into the kitchen, where it was a lot quieter. It also smelled strongly of cinnamon. A minute later, I found out why. A tray full of gingerbread men had just come out of the oven and was cooling on the counter.

I looked around the rest of the kitchen. There was a small stove in one corner, and a pot was simmering merrily upon one of the burners. Besides the gingerbread men, foods such as stuffing, mashed potatoes, and several pies—I guess I wasn't the only one to think to bring a pie—decorated the counter. The sink was clean rather than littered with dishes like mine. The oven was on the far side of the kitchen from where I was standing.

I walked over to the oven and opened the door. There was a large goose—will the _A Christmas Carol_ references ever stop?—sitting inside it. Not surprisingly, very little heat greeted me when I opened the door. Sure enough, the oven was off.

"Adam, did you press this button?" I asked, pointing to the power button.

"Well, I suppose I probably did after I took out the gingerbread cookies…Oh. Oops."

I laughed again and pressed the button. "Problem solved," I announced happily as I closed the oven door.

"Wow, Suze," Adam said sarcastically. "You're a genius!"

"Ha ha. That's really great coming from the one who turned the oven off," I retaliated, just as sarcastically.

When we finally stopped laughing, which wasn't for a few minutes, I said, "Adam, I'm really sorry."

"About what, Suze?"

"About how I've been acting lately," I said. "I don't know if you've noticed, but I've been a little…" I searched for the right word.

"Bah humbug?" Adam suggested.

"Yeah," I said. "That. But I'm going to make it up to you somehow."

"Suze, you've already made it up to me," he assured me. When I raised my eyebrows in confusion, he explained. "You're here," he said. "And that's enough for me."

I smiled and hugged him again. "Thanks, Adam."

Beyond the kitchen door, a sudden bout of laugher rose up, and I pushed open the door, ready to get back to the party.

"Suze!" someone shouted as I walked out the door. A second later, a girl with long dark hair ran up and hugged me.

"Gina!" I practically screamed. "I didn't know you were in town!"

"We have _so_ much catching up to do," Gina announced as she dragged me into the living room. We sat on the couch and talked for a few minutes before we were interrupted by the doorbell.

"Suze," Cee Cee called. "Could you get that? My hands are a little full." She was carrying a stack of more pies into the kitchen. We were going to have a lot of pie.

"Sure," I yelled back.

"I'll go help her," Gina said. "Before she falls over."

I laughed. "Good idea," I said and ran to the door, throwing it open.

"Merry Chr— " The words stuck in my throat as I realized who was at the door. "Jesse?" I said. He was standing there in the cold, and all I could do was stare at him in disbelief. I knew I should let him in, but it seemed as though I wasn't control of my body at the moment.

"Susannah," he said simply. "Can I talk to you?"

"Um…" I said. "Sure." When my mind gained control of my body again, I added, "You wanna come in?"

He stepped into the house and hung his coat on the rack near the door. Then he turned to me, and my heart did a back flip.

"Susannah—"

"Jesse, it's all my fault," I blurted out, cutting him off. I was apparently over my speechlessness. "I should have trusted you, and I didn't. I was just jealous, and I know you wouldn't do anything to hurt me and I'm sorry!" I said.

Suddenly I felt like I was going to cry again. What if he wouldn't forgive me? I wouldn't forgive me.

Jesse burst out laughing. Seriously, I pour my heart out and he just laughs his head off. I wanted to smack him. But then again, I probably deserved it.

He was still laughing.

Okay, that's enough. Now I was getting angry.

"I'm—hahaha—I'm sorry, Susannah," Jesse said in response to the irritated look on my face. "It's just that I have no idea what you just said."

Oh. Yeah, well I guess I do talk pretty fast when I'm nervous.

"Jesse, I'm sorry I didn't believe you," I repeated, an abridged and slowed-down version of what I'd just said.

He stopped laughing.

"I know you'd never do anything to hurt me," I added. "And Jesse—"

"Susannah," Jesse whispered, cutting me off mid-sentence. "Querida, I love you."

"I wouldn't forgive me either," I said. "I mean, just because—wait. What did you say?"

"I love you, Susannah," he repeated. "I always have, and no matter what you do, that will never change."

I was speechless. He still loved me. _I love you, too, Jesse_, I thought. Wait. I should probably tell _him_ that.

"I love you, too, Cadaver Breath," I said, and he smiled.

He reached out and lifted my chin up—he was still so much taller than me, even with my new high heels—with one finger and looked into my eyes. I stared back into his eyes, my heart pounding, and stood up on tiptoe so I could reach his mouth with my own.

There's no telling how long we would have stood there kissing if we hadn't been interrupted. I, for one, could have stayed there like that for the rest of mylife. But a cry of "Awwwww!" came from behind us, and we broke apart. All of Cee Cee's guests were staring at us.

Um…awkward…

I smiled sheepishly and thought how half the girls in the room were probably jealous right now. I grabbed the front of Jesse's shirt and brought him down to my level and started to kiss him again.

His lips were so soft and they molded perfectly with my own. Again, I thought how I wanted to stay like this forever, but unfortunately, we were interrupted again by someone yelling "Dinner's ready!"

My stomach gurgled hungrily, and, hand-in-hand, Jesse and I walked to the table for Christmas dinner.

And suddenly, I was happier than ever before. I had everything that made Christmas so special. I had people who loved me. Friends, family, and, of course, my boyfriend.

Plus, how could anyone be unhappy with all those pies around?

The evening couldn't get any more perfect.

Or, so I thought.

"Querida," Jesse whispered in my ear after I'd eaten. "Come with me."

Of course, I went. Jesse led me out to the balcony, and we both looked up at the stars. "I'm really glad I came tonight," he said.

"Yeah, me too."

"Querida," he said suddenly. I watched as he got down on one knee, and my breath caught.

"Marry me," he said.

I felt my heart explode inside my chest from the sheer joy, and I nodded my head, unable to speak yet again. Happy tears built up inside my eyes as I took Jesse's hand, pulled him up from the balcony, and kissed him deeply.

NOW, the night could not get any more perfect.

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**A/N: R&R please!!!!**


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